Automatic belt-guide.



`R. JOHNSON, Sn.

AUTOMATIG BELT GUIDE. APPLICATION FILED' sBPT.13, 1911.

1,022,949. I Patented Apr. 9, 19,12.

Sikkim/m3 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

kRICHARD JOHNSON, SR., OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BELT-GUIDE.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, RICHARD JOHNSON,

matically to keep the pulley and belt in lineand prevent the latter from running off the former.

invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within` the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the inven tion.

In the drawing :*Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional'view, taken longitudinally of the pulley. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the supporting frame. Fig. 4; is a detail perspective view i 'sleeves or boxes 17, operating in arcuate of the bottom and side levers.

Like numerals of referenceV designate corresponding parts in all the ligures of the drawing. In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, l designates a rigidly mounted approximately U-shaped supporting frame, constructed of any suitable material and consisting of a horizontal bottom portion and vertical sides 2. The bottom portion, which is preferably enlarged at the center as shown, is provided with a central vertical pivot 3, and it has perforations 4c for the reception of bolts or other suitable Specication of Letters Patent. Application measeptember 13,1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912. serial No.`649,1e8.

fastening means for securing the frame 1 to a suitable support. The vertical pivot 3, which is preferably formed integral with the frame 1, receives a .horizontal bottom lever 5, provided .with a central bearing opening 6 and having a depending flange 7 surrounding the opening and arranged upon the bottom of the supporting frame and spacing the lever from the bottom of the said frame. -The terminals 8 of the bottom lever 5 are reduced and t in recesses 9 in the lower ends of side levers 10, whereby when one ofthe side levers is actuated by the belt, motion will be communicated tothe other side lever through the l,bottom connecting lever 5, so that both levers will be. simultaneously oscillated for adjusting a pulley 11'to maintain the same l1n properposition with relation to itsbelt. With these and vother objects 1n view, the

The side levers 10 are provided at points intermediate of the ends with bearing Aopen# ings 12, located at the lower portions of the yside levers and receiving pivots 13, which pierce the sides of the supporting frame 1, the side levers being provided at the bearing .openings 12 with annular bosses or flanges 14, which space the side levers 10 from the inner faces of the sides of the frame. By this arrangement when the upper portion of one of the side levers is actuated by the belt, the upper portion of the otherside` lever will be simultaneously moved in the opposite direction by the connecting means'between the side levers.

` The side levers 10 are provided near their centers with circular'openings 15 for the reception of inner cylindrical portions 16 of slots 18 of the sides of the supporting frame l and receivingy the end portions of a shaft 19 upon which the pulley 11 is mounted. The sleeves orboxes 17 have polygonal outer portions provided with slightly curved upper and lower faces to conform to the curvature of the slots, and the said sleeves or boxes are fixed to the shaft 19 by clamping screws 20, or other suitable Vmeans, and each is preferably equipped with an oil cup 21 for holding a suitable lubricant. In practice the stationary shaft 19 f will be provided with suitable passages for conducting the lubricantfrom the oil cups to the pulley.

The inner tubular portions 16 extend inwardlyto the hub 22 of the pulley and maintain the latter in a central position, a washer 23 being preferably interposed bet-Ween the ends of the hub and the sleeves or boxes. The washers 23 also form bearings for the inner ends of the coiled springs 24, disposed on the tubular portions of the sleeves or boxes and interposed between the hub of the pulley and the side levers to prevent the levers from shifting from a central position until sufficient pressure is exerted on the same to overcome the force of the springs. The springs tend to press the levers fiat against the shoulders at the inner ends of the polygonal outer portions 17 and thereby tend to maintain the levers in a central position. This will prevent the side levers from being shifted through any vibration of the parts, and they will remain practically stationary until positively actuated by the belt. r1`he upper portions 25 of the side levers are curved upwardly and outwardly, and they also have a transverse curvature, as shown.

The device, which is capable of use in various relations, is designed particularly for guiding the belt, which connects a threshing machine with a traction or other engine. When the belt is shifted by the wind or other disturbing means and the pulley is not in proper alinementwith the belt, one edge of the belt will run over the pulley and will strike against the upper portion of the adjacent side lever, which will actuate the lever and swing the upper portion of the same in one direction. rThe upper portion of the other lever will be simultaneously swung in the opposite direction through the connecting lever. This will change the position of the pulley and arrange the same in proper position with relationto the belt.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is 1- 1. An automatic belt guide comprising a fixed supporting frame, side members pivoted at a point between their ends to the supporting frame and provided at one side of the pivotal point with bearings for a pulley shaft, a connecting lever pivoted at an intermediate point on the supporting frame and connected with the side levers at the opposite side of the pivotal point thereof to cause the side levers to simultaneously move in opposite directions, said side levers being arranged to be actuated by a belt when the pulley is out of alinement with the same.

2. An automatic belt guide including a fixed supporting frame` upright side levers pivoted to the supporting frame and provided above their pivots with openings to receive a pulley shaft, the upper portions of the levers being arranged to be engaged by a belt when the pulley is out of alinement with the same, and a bottom lever centrally pivoted to the fixed frame and connected at its terminals with the lower ends of the side levers.

3. An automatic belt guide including a fixed supporting frame provided at opposite sides with guide slots or openings, side levers pivoted between their ends to the sides of the frame and provided above the pivots with openings located in line with the guide openings or slots of the supporting frame, boxes guided in the slots or openings of the frame and extending through the openings of the side levers and adapted to receive a pulley shaft, and a bottom lever pivoted to the support-ing frame and connected at its terminals with the lower ends of the side levers.

4. An automatic belt guide including a fixed supporting frame provided at opposite sides with arcuate slots, side levers pivoted between their ends to the sides of the supporting frame and provided with openings located at the said slots, boxes having outer portions guided in the arcuate slots of the supporting frame, said boxes being also provided with inner portions extending through the openings of the side levers, a shaft mounted in the boxes, which are adapted to maint-ain a pulley in a cent-ral position on the shaft, and means for transmitting motion from one of the levers to the other.

5. An automatic belt guide including a fixed supporting frame, side levers pivoted between their ends to the supporting frame and provided at their lower ends with recesses and having openings located above the pivots, and a connecting lever centrally pivoted to the supporting frame and having terminal portions operating in the recesses of the side levers, whereby when one of the side levers is oscillated the other side lever will be simultaneously moved in the opposite direction.

6. An automatic belt guide including a supporting frame, side levers pivoted at an intermediate point and provided above their pivots with openings to receive a pulley shaft, friction springs engaging the levers for resisting the oscillatory movement of the same, and means for transmitting motion from one lever to the other, whereby when one lever is actuated the other will be simultaneously moved in the opposite direction.

7. An automatic belt guide including a supporting frame, side levers pivoted between their ends and provided above their pivots with openings, a shaft mounted in the openings, a pulley mounted on the shaft, coiled friction springs surrounding the shaft and interposed between the pulley and the las my own, I have hereto aixed my signa,- side levers for friotionally resisting` the ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

movements thereof and means for transmit- T ting motion from one of the side levers to RICHARD JOHLSON SR' 5 the other for causing the same to be simula, Witnesses:

taneously moved in opposite directions. JOSEPH II. JOHNSON,

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing GEO. C. DANFORTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioni-.r5- f Iate'nts,

Washington, D. G. 

